The Pretty Stranger
by PeanutJen
Summary: A story about the Tayledras and one of their own. Can Rivershadow save her? Can Moonsong save herself? First time writer, so be nice when you r
1. Chapter 1

She broke into a run when she saw the small group surrounding the small women in tears. When she reached them, they still hadn't noticed her. She seized the nearest man by the shoulders and forcibly turned him to face her. He had a look of shock in his eyes and it took her a few moments of shaking to get a comprehensible sentence out of him.

"The Inn-Keeper's boy," he stuttered. "He fell in the river" As soon as those words had left his mouth, she released him and turned away to face the river. She could just see the small child floating face-up down the river. He was much closer to the other side of the river, and hence father away from the small crowd that had assembled to watch in shock as he floated away. The woman in tears was obviously his mother, due to the hysterical note to her tears. Since none of the people in the small gathering were obviously in charge the newcomer decided that she should take things into her own hands. Since her short stature would be a mark against her, she stood on a nearby rock before whistling shrilly for attention. All of the people in the sombre group turned as one to face her. They all had stunned expressions on their faces and simply stared blankly up at her.

"Does anyone here know how to swim?" The strange newcomer questioned in a demanding and authoritative voice. "Anyone?" She sighed, and jumped off of the rock. She began giving orders while removing the pack from her back and any clothing that would impede her swimming.

"You," She said pointing at one of the less stunned faces that surrounded her. "Go fetch warm, dry clothes for the boy. You," yet another face was singled out from the group. "Go to the nearest home and build the biggest possible fire in their fireplace. When we come out of the water, take us there and warm us up. If you have anything like a healer or medicine woman fetch her. Tell her to treat him for hypothermia. If she's any good, she'll know what to do." With those last instructions, she had shed the last of the clothes she was willing to part with. She piled them in a heap next to her pack and bent over to fish out the rope she kept in her pack at all times. She found it swiftly and tied one end around her waist and gave one to the biggest man she could see.

"Don't let go," she told him. And with that, she turned and dove into the river that was swifter then usual due to the spring thaw. All the villagers gasped and ran to the edge of the water. They knew that the water was much to cold for anyone to survive very long. They had thought the boy doomed and hoped to retrieve his body somewhere down the river so that he would at least have a proper burial. But then this stranger had arrived and everything had seemed just a tad brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

stranger gasped when she hit the water. It was colder then she had first thought. She could be seriously ill if she wasn't careful when she got out. As soon as she surfaced, she began swimming towards the boy with swift, powerful strokes. The rope around her waist trailed out behind her. She hoped briefly that the rope would prove long enough for her to reach the boy. When her arms had just started to become leaden, she felt cloth under her fingertips. She quickly grabbed the boy's shirt and wrapped an arm around his chest. He was probably eight, ten at the most, and he was barely conscious. The cold was affecting him too much for this unknown stranger's comfort. She turned herself around and waved at the people on shore. She began back paddling and felt the tug of the rope as the villagers had the presence of mind to pull her to shore using the rope. Her arms felt numb from the cold and having to hold on to the dead weight of the boy was making them worse. Her back and legs stung from being dragged over sharp rocks and submerged branches. The rope cut into her stomach, making her wish she had tied it across her chest instead. She was exhausted when they finally reached the bank and too many hands to count reached down to pull her and the boy out. Both were quickly wrapped in blankets and were rubbed fiercely to dry and warm them as much as possible. One man picked up the boy with a tender care that showed his paternal feelings for the young boy. The large man that had held the rope for the heroic stranger looked down to where she was half sitting on the ground. Before she could ask him sharply what he wanted, he reached down and scooped her up in his large arms. She tried to tell him to put her down, that she could walk just fine but all that came out was a weak chattering. She was too weak to push him away, and finally gave up in exhaustion. The boy and his rescuer were brought to a house that seemed decades away to the pretty stranger. By the time she was placed onto a small cot in front of the fireplace, the bone-chilling cold, then the comforting warmth had made the blackness that beckoned an extremely tempting invitation. She managed to reach out a hand and snag the sleeve of the man who had carried her here before he could walk away.

"I need you to do something for me," she whispered. He looked startled at first, then nodded grimly. "Go to the Taledras encampment. It's not far down the river from here. Ask for Rivershadow and Greenmind, tell them what happened, and bring them back here. Tell them to hurry, Moonsong needs them." The man nodded once then got up and left. Moonsong sagged back against the pillows and welcomed the sweet blackness that enveloped her.


	3. Chapter 3

Rivershadow clung to the back of his dyheli with practised ease. He was moving with his mount in an expert way that allowed them to go even faster. His mind was far from his path, though. Since the dyheli knew where he was going, all he had to do was hold on and try not to be too much of a burden. He was thinking about Moonsong, and what she had done. True, anyone of them would have done the same, but the scouting mission she had just been on would have worn her out, and the cold got to her a lot faster then most. She was tough, but slender, wiry yet thin. She was small and delicate even though her tough fighting style showed anyone who doubted her otherwise. He knew what kind of danger she could be in right now and so did Greenmind, who rode beside him. Greenmind probably knew even more than Rivershadow, being a Healer in training instead of a simple scout. They had left the breathless messenger and his poor horse behind at the encampment. They would be cared for and would be on their way when they were ready, but Rivershadow and Greenmind had headed out immediately towards the village, concern for their friend clear with every move they made. Their dyheli mounts had been just as anxious to leave as the young friends. Moonsong was a friend of every non-human member of the encampment, and no small number of the human ones. If they had had it their way, every single person, human or not, would have gone rushing to the aid of Moonsong. But Greenmind had persuaded everyone else wise.

"If we all go rushing into the village instead of the two Moonsong asked for, the villagers will panic. You forget, they have never seen the likes of us before." He had stated simply. Rivershadow had agreed with him, but most the others thought simply because he was among the two requested, though he was a logical selection since he was Moonsong's lover and closest friend.

They finally reached the village, but not before Rivershadow's mind had conjured up an uncountable number of horrific events that could have happened to Moonsong. He leaped from the back of his dyheli mount and ran to the nearest villager he could see. He grabbed the young woman by the shoulders and demanded to know where the young stranger was. The woman was so surprised by this unusual man's actions that she could only point in direction of the village inn. Rivershadow released her and took off in the direction she had pointed, Greenmind and the dyheli following at a much more dignified pace.

Rivershadow burst into the inn, startling everyone inside. One man made as if to intercept him and ask him to leave, but something about the fierceness in Rivershadow's eyes told him not to. Rivershadow took in the room with a quick glance. There were two cots positioned as close as possible to the fire without being in danger of catching on fire themselves. One held a young boy, and most of the people in the room were crowded around his cot. A man and woman held each of the boy's hands. There were only two people at the side of the other cot. A very large man, most likely the village Blacksmith, and a small, withered woman, probably the village Healer, or whatever passed for a Healer out here. Rivershadow lurched over to the cot and saw to his horror that the figure on the cot wasn't moving and only when he got closer did he even see her chest rise. He gently pushed the man out of the way, and the large man gladly moved to let him see her. The Healer glanced at him, and then went back to her work. She had one hand just over the woman's forehead and Rivershadow could sense some rudimentary Healing taking place. This withered old hag was helping Moonsong fight the cold and the dark. Rivershadow held his hand just above the Healer's and gave her all the strength he could spare. The tired old woman looked up at him startled, but when he only nodded, she went back to her work. When Greenmind came into the inn, he went to the boy first to assure he was ok. When he had done that, he too joined in the Healing meld.

It took a very short time to warm Moonsong up enough that she wouldn't be in danger. Greenmind dropped out of the meld first to show the others that it was over and they had won. The village healer dropped out next, leaving Rivershadow to finish up. When he finally opened his eyes, another villager was at his elbow with a cup of tea and a shoulder to lean on. The small woman helped him to a cot and he sank onto it willingly. He looked once more around the room, then slowly lay down and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Greenmind was annoyingly cheerful when the two of them woke up again. Rivershadow was grumpy as he always was when he first woke up. He and Greenmind were having another cup of tea and talking to the villagers. One of the young boys ran over to tug on the Mayors sleeve. The Mayor leaned over to let the young boy whisper something in his ear and then scamper off again. The mayor sat up and turned to the two friends.

"She's awake"

Moonsong managed to pull herself out of the all-encompassing darkness. She opened her eyes and blinked at the light that was bright after the darkness of her mind. She had dreamt that music had been playing, there had been three players, and wherever the music went, warmth followed. The music had slowly traveled throughout her body, warming her and bringing her back to the world of the living. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Rivershadow's concerned face. His ice blue eyes were overshadowed with guilt for not being there for her sooner. She could tell all of this because Rivershadow had never learned to school his facial features and whatever he felt was free for all to see, written plain as day on his face. She smiled weakly up at him, and he relaxed visibly. He moved over and Greenmind moved into her field of vision. He too smiled and brought forth a cup of some vile brew for Moonsong to drink. She grimaced, but drank it anyway. Greenmind could deliver some scathing verbal blows when he felt like it. When she was finished, she settled back into the cushions under the careful watch of Rivershadow and Greenmind.

As happy as he was that she was okay, Rivershadow was worried. Moonsong was thin and pale, more so than she normally was. Her hair hung limp around her face. The scouting mission had obviously taken more out of her then she was willing to admit. He was worried that she was retreating within herself and becoming unwilling to look for outside help. True, she was normally a very self-dependant and private person, but she was going beyond her normal limit. He was afraid the she would hurt herself badly if she kept on trying to prove that she was capable of fending for herself. He was sitting next to her, watching her face as she slept, hoping to find something there that would answer all of his unspoken questions. He sat staring until the fire had died down twice, and one of the peasant boys had come and gone to rebuild it. When he looked back down at Moonsong's face, he realized that she was awake, and had been watching him, with tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

_:I'm__ sorry:_ her soft mental voice whispered. He was startled for a moment, then smiled softly. Moonsong smiled back.

_:It's__ ok. __Its__ not your fault:_Rivershadow brushed her hair back from her face as he answered back.


	5. Chapter 5

_Moonsong was up a tree as usual. But this time, something was scratching at the bottom, trying to get up to her. She looked down from her lofty perch and tried to think of how to get rid of the wyrsa that was trying to get at her innards. She had no bondbird, so she would have to rely on her own skill and limited weaponry. Maybe she could lure it away. Seizing on that thought, she quickly spun a small ball of mage energy and sent it __wisping__ a way through the tress. The wyrsa turned its head to follow the glowing ball. It began to follow it, but turned to look back at Moonsong. She held her breath urging it to go on. Finally, it did, loping off through the underbrush. Moonsong breathed a sigh of relief then quickly pulled out her climbing staff and began to move on across the roadway of branches. _

_Moonsong was exhausted. Her scouting shift was almost over but already she had run into two different wyrsa, a group of hunters and three different bandits seeking shelter in the woods. She was about ready to drop where she stood and she knew that she would need more than just a hot soak to calm her down after this one. Lately, the other scouts and mages of the Vale had been looking askance at her, looking as though they wished she would just give up and quit. Every time someone gave her that look, she wanted to just reach out and punch that arrogant smile off their face. They thought they were better than she was simply because they had been born and raised in a Vale and she hadn't. She knew she was just as good as they were, but because she was an outsider she would have to work twice as hard to get the same amount of respect they all seemed to have been born with. They didn't seem to understand why she had left her village to come seeking the mysterious Hawkbrothers. They didn't even care that she was willing to work as they did or harder. She was an outsider and that was never going to change._

_The day before she had left on the scouting foray, she was ambushed by a group of young, arrogant hot heads on her way to the hertasi for supplies. They had laughed at her, mocked her and told her that she was not welcome in Their Vale. She knew that they were out of line and that they had not business confronting her but their words still stung. She knew that was what most people were thinking of her but were too polite to say anything. Lately she had even come to wonder if Rivershadow felt that way too. Her heart __gave__ a lurch. If Rivershadow did feel that way she should just leave now. She would never fit in. She didn't have a bondbird and she wasn't as graceful as they were. Rivershadow and __Greenmind__ had given her a use-name, but that didn't make her a true Tayledras It just made her sound like one. She was so happy to be going on a scouting foray all by herself so she could puzzle out her thoughts and feeling and decide her next move. She needed to figure out who she was. _


	6. Chapter 6

Rivershadow kept his eyes closed as he tried to understand all that he had seen in Moonsong's memories. He had never known that she had been so self-conscious. She had seemed fine, just a little jumpy and nervous. That was usual for scouts who were about to go out on their first solo foray. He had tried to reassure her as best he could, but he had been trying to cure a different kind of nervousness. He knew she had moments where she felt terribly alone but he had always been there for her. To think she had doubted him almost made him want to turn away. But he knew that she only thought that briefly and at times of extreme anxiety. She just needed reassurance. He opened his eyes and smiled down at her. She had her eyes closed and her face turned away from him,. He could see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, and he reached out with a gentle finger to brush them away. He put his finger under her chin and turned her to face him. He smiled lovingly down at her and sent out his own mental link. She sniffed and took it carefully.

_He looked across the clearing at the newcomer being made Wingsib. She was nervous as a day old filly and was constantly shifting her weight from foot to foot and casting her eyes around the clearing. He watched her until she looked at him and smiled reassuringly. She smiled back and took a deep breath calming __herself__. The rest of the ceremony went well and __Hali joined Clan K'Shela_

_Greenmind and Rivershadow were laughing and walking with the new Wingsib. They were showing her to her new Ekele. They had helped build it with an extra large bed just the way she liked it. She loved to spread out in her bed and take up as much space as possible. They teased her by claiming this was why she had no __bedmates__ as of yet. She had blushed most delicately and Rivershadow's heart leapt. She climbed the stairs in a state of wonder and stopped at the top to gaze around at the magnificent view. The moonlight reached through the branches to hold her in a delicate embrace and Rivershadow thought he would never see anyone as beautiful as Hali looked at that moment. _

_Walking with Greenmind to fetch Hali for a scouting exercise, Rivershadow heard someone singing softly in the night. __He trailed off mid-sentence and looked around for the source of the beautiful noise. He turned the corner to find Hali once again on the balcony of her ekele, framed by the moonlight. She was singing softly to the moon, her dark hair loose around her ears. He stopped in his tracks and stared, dumfounded at her. Never in all his years would he have guessed she could sing so beautiful. The song was entrancing and Rivershadow couldn't look away. Greenmind sidled up beside him, chuckled and close Rivershadow's mouth for him. Rivershadow blinked and followed Greenmind to the base of Hali's ekele. They stood and watched her until she had finished her song. They all stood frozen for a moment; until Hali looked down to see them standing there with entranced smiles on their faces. She blushed and rushed inside to grab her pack. When she finally emerged at the bottom of the stairs, she was still bright red and was looking at her feet. As Greenmind started off, Rivershadow tilted Hali's face up to meet his eyes and whispered carefully, "That was beautiful, Moonsong." _


	7. Chapter 7

Rivershadow opened his eyes once again to see Moonsong with her eyes closed, and glistening with tears. He waited patiently, and was rewarded when she opened her eyes and looked up at him in wonder.

"You really feel that way?" she whispered hoarsely. He nodded and moved to hold her close to him. She clung to him and they spent the night in each others arms.

**[Authors Note I'm not sure whether to continue in this story, or to start a sequel. Both ideas have their merits, but I am still undecided. Review to tell me which you would prefer, an keep watch for more chapters or a sequel!**


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